COLL HALF MARATHON 2018

A great day out for all the family!

The Coll Half Marathon has become an important annual event on the Isle of Coll, with most of the locals involved in running this very popular day… All on an entirely voluntary basis. Many runners return each year, not just to challenge themselves as they enjoy the stunning views on this beautiful island, but also to have a fabulous Coll weekend!

An Cridhe, the island’s community centre is the hub of activity for the day. Non participants can spend the afternoon here with a great vantage point for cheering the runners on as they reach their first kilometre and later, welcoming them across the finish line!

Great food and drink will be available during the afternoon and evening and, once the runners are home and refreshed it’s time to Ceilidh, Coll style… An Cridhe will be bouncing with live music. Don’t worry if you don’t know the dances. You will soon pick them up and there will be plenty of people happy to help!

After an energetic happy Saturday and a well deserved good night’s sleep, you can enjoy a cooked breakfast at An Cridhe before the Sunday ferry back to the mainland… But, be warned, you will not want to leave this very special place!

Coll & The Cosmos

6th/7th October 2018

Coll & The Cosmos is a stargazing weekend break on the Isle of Coll which makes the most of the island’s incredible dark sky. The break has been specifically designed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. No prior knowledge of astronomy is needed; we’ll bring you the best of the night sky in a way that is fun and easily understandable.

Coll & The Cosmos is a collaboration between Coll Bunkhouse and Cosmos Planetarium. We use state of the art technology to deliver an amazing stargazing learning experience in a fantastic location. Our 6 metre indoor planetarium is a fully digital, 360° immersive multi-media theatre experience, ideal for taking a journey through the solar system and learning about a range of astronomical subjects.

In 2017 we added a ground-breaking immersive virtual reality session. See the scale of the universe from inside an atom to the edge of known space. Also, travel to the Moon with Apollo 11 – be part of the greatest journey ever taken by humankind.

We also offer an array of different astronomical equipment to use, from simple binoculars to large astronomical telescopes with ‘Goto’ and wireless Bluetooth capabilities. If you have your own telescope, bring it along and we’ll show you how to get the best use from it. During the day, we can offer solar observing with close-up views of the sun and its flares, filaments and sun-spots, using our dedicated Hydrogen Alpha and white light solar telescopes.

Why Coll?

By night, Coll has a naturally unpolluted starry sky – equivalent to Death Valley National Park in the USA – which make it perfect for stargazing. With a sky that dark, many deep sky objects can be seen with the naked eye. Some of these include star clusters like the ‘Beehive’ & ‘Double Cluster’, nebulae like the ‘Great Orion Nebula’ and the ‘Andromeda Galaxy’. The bright band of the Milky Way can also be easily seen arching over the night sky at certain times of the year.

In December 2013, Coll was officially designated as a ‘Dark-Sky Community’ by the International Dark-Sky Association, on account of its dark sky and commitment to minimising light pollution. We are very fortunate on Coll to have such a unique natural environment which makes it such a fantastic location for stargazing. To provide a little context to the meaning of this award, the Isle of Coll was:
• the 1st Dark Sky Community, and Island, – in Scotland
• the 22nd Dark Sky Place to be designated – in the world.

Cosmos Planetarium are based in central Scotland but have collaborated with Coll Bunkhouse to deliver this experience in a location which can truly be described as top-class when it comes to stargazing.

The Course

Coll & the Cosmos is a two-day astronomical voyage of discovery, with approximately 10 hours of learning and stargazing activities delivered by our expert astronomers.No other stargazing short break in the UK offers as wide a range of astronomical equipment, practical hands on instruction in using telescopes and developing observing techniques, combined with the awesome experience of time inside our fully digital immersive planetarium.

With the planetarium, even if it’s cloudy during your stay, we can still give you a virtual tour of the night sky, exactly as it should look that evening. All of this takes place on the Isle of Coll, a real hidden gem amongst Scotland’s Hebridean islands. Now not only can you discover the beauty of the island itself but also experience the wonders of the night sky under some of the darkest sky in Europe.

Cosmos Planetarium

The course is delivered by James Green and Steven Gray of Cosmos Planetarium. James has a BSc (Hons) in physics is a member of the Institute of Physics and is a keen amateur astronomer. Steven has had a lifelong fascination with the night sky, is also a keen amateur astronomer and solar system imager. Both are members of the British Association of Planetaria and Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society and have many years experience delivering astronomy outreach classes and courses. You can find out more about Cosmos Planetarium via their website.

Cost & Further Information

The course costs £90 for adults and £75 for young people (12 – 17 years). There is a discounted price of £81 per adult, £67 per young person (12 – 17 years) if booked and paid for two months in advance. Accommodation is available at Coll Bunkhouse, from £21 per person per night. Alternative accommodation is available just a few minutes walk away including the Coll Hotel, Tigh na Mara and Dun Fraoch Bed & Breakfasts. Further self-catering accommodation can be found here.

Cancellation policy: if you wish to cancel your attendance on the course, please note that cancellations must be made at least 28 days in advance of the course start date or payment cannot be refunded.

This is an informal course and is first and foremost intended to be fun and as flexible as possible regarding the level of the content. We strongly believe astronomy and science in general should be as accessible as possible for everyone.

Lots of people get telescopes as gifts but never learn how to use them properly, feel free to bring along any equipment you have and we will endeavour to show you how to get the best out of it.

During the evening observing sessions, if the sky is clear remember that it can be very cold so please make sure you pack appropriate winter clothing.

To make the most of the clear sky the evening observing sessions can of course be extended. Both James and Steven are very passionate about everything to do with the night sky and will be spending a considerable amount of their nights on Coll looking up!